Madera Unified School District celebrated its 60th anniversary at its oldest school, and is looking forward to the next 60 years.
Madera High School, who will graduate its 130th class in May, was the site for many district dignitaries, MHS students and staff to celebrate the anniversary Monday morning.
MHS Alumna, and Madera Mayor, Cece Gallegos honored the school with a certificate from the City of Madera.
“On behalf of the City of Madera, I am here to give a certificate of recognition of the 60th anniversary celebration In dedication to educational excellence and service in the Madera Community with sincere appreciation and lasting contribution to education and its commitment to our future generations,” she said.
Current MHS principal Robyn Cosgrove, who is the first MHS alumna to become the school’s principal in the 130 years, honored principals of the past who were present — Julia O’Kane and Ron Pisk — while paying tribute to those who walked the halls before here.
“It is meaningful Madera High School was chosen as the location to celebrate this momentous occasion because this school has deep roots in the district and the community,” Cosgrove said. “Long before Madera Unified became the district we know today, generations of students walked these halls and these grounds. They learned in these classrooms, competed on these fields and performed on these stages. They formed friendships, discovered their passions and began building the traditions that helped define Madera High School for generations. This year, our students have the opportunity to add another chapter to that story.”
Before Cosgrove was about 100 students who participated in the event, as well as the MHS choir who performed the National Anthem.
“To the seniors with us today, when you walk across the stage in June, you represent the 130th graduating class of Madera High School. For more than a century, young people from this community have called Madera High School their school,” Cosgrove said.
Cosgrove knows the history of MHS before her and knows she is a custodian to the history, and future, of MHS, and MUSD.
“As a principal of Madera High School for the past 10 years, I am deeply aware that, at times, I have been entrusted with something more than myself,” she said. “I have had the privilege of building upon the work of those who came before me, while helping guide MHS to the next era. Each principal who came before me left something behind, a tradition strengthened, a program created, a relationship built, a challenge overcome, or a belief in the students that they could become something more.
“I am incredibly proud to continue the tradition and history of Madera High School. I am equally excited about what lies ahead for our students, staff and the community. History is not something we look back on. It’s something we are creating everyday. Years from now, another group may gather to celebrate another milestone in Madera Unified, and when they look back, they will see all of us in the class of 2027, 2028, 2029 and 2030. The example you set will become part of the story that will come after you. We are part of that history.”
MUSD Student Board Representative Noah Hernandez knows, first hand, how celebrated this anniversary should be.
“It is an honor to stand here to celebrate 60 years of Madera Unified. What makes it more special to me is I’m not here as a board member, but I’m here as a student celebrating the same district I have grown up in,” he said. “Sixty years is something worth celebrating. But, what I think is more important, is what those 60 years represent. The impact of a school district shouldn’t be measured by how long it’s been around, but measured by the people who have come through it with the opportunities they have been given and what they have gone through to accomplish. As a student who has benefitted from those opportunities, I can say Madera Unified has made a difference in my life, just like it has for so many others. As we celebrate this important milestone, I hope we can also look forward to what the next 60 years will bring: More opportunities for our students, more achievements to celebrate and, most importantly, a district that will listen and invest in its students.”
Hernandez realizes the responsibility he has as a student trustee, and doesn’t take that lightly.
“The most important part of being a student trustee isn’t about going to meetings and have a seat waiting for me. It’s the fact that I have the opportunity to speak up for my peers. That is something I take very seriously,” he said. “I see a school community that continues to encourage students to pursue their goals, which is what I believe celebrating 60 years of Madera Unified is more than just celebrating how long it has been around. It’s about recognizing the thousands of students that have walked through the schools, the teachers and staff who have dedicated years of their lives to help us succeed, and the families who have trusted our district with their children’s education.”
MUSD Superintendent Todd Lile spoke about how important it will be to the students before him to walk across that graduation stage in May. He also allowed former principals O’Kane and Pisk to address the students.
“She reached down, and lifted this school up in a time of need,” Lile said of O’Kane, who began her tenure as MHS principal in 1972.
“Madera High School and Madera Unified has gone through ups and downs through the years. It was exciting to build new classrooms. We also pulled ourselves through some very difficult times. I am so proud of what Madera Unified has become,” she said.
Pisk’s last year as a principal was in 2008, just before MHS officially split into two separate high schools.
“He came to Madera High School at a time when it needed an infusion in Coyote Pride. He exemplifies Coyote Pride,” Lile said of Pisk.
“In 2008, my final year, if we would have had this activity, we would have had 1,000 students. We were huge, and not separated by high schools,” Pisk said.
As MUSD celebrates 60 years, the district looks forward to what the next 60 years will bring.
“Today, we celebrate where we have been. We honor the people who helped bring us here, and we look forward, with great pride and optimism, where Madera High School and Madera Unified will go next,” Cosgrove said.